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U of S students lead environmental initiative in the community

SASKATOON - A student-led volunteer
group is poised to find out how many plant and animal species live in
Saskatoon. Through a partnership with the U of S School of Environment and Sustainability
(SENS), Meewasin and Fulbright Canada, students will spend two days conducting
field research.

“The support from
Fulbright Canada will provide our students the opportunity to perform valuable
work and contribute vital data that will directly inform local policy,” said
Toddi Steelman, SENS Executive Director and Fulbright alumna. “I commend the
SENS students’ association for leading this initiative to enhance our
relationships with like-minded organizations and better serve the interest of our
community partners.”

The School of
Environment and Sustainability students’ association (SENSSA) was awarded
$4,000 by the Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco-Leadership Program to organize and plan
their event. The 2013 EcoBlitz will take place on June 26 and 27 with
volunteers taking inventory of the ecological inhabitants north of Saskatoon on
Central Avenue.

Once collected and
organized, the data will be used by local engineering firm Stantec as part of
an environmental impact assessment regarding new infrastructure in the area. More
than 30 volunteers are participating, including representation from the City of
Saskatoon and Meewasin.

“SENS students are
strong believers in long-term sustainability of the ecological resources that
surround us,” said Anson Main, PhD student and SENSSA president. “We wanted to
give back to the community by partnering with organizations addressing future
urban needs of Saskatoon while actively managing the natural environment.”

Once part of the
river system, the Small Swale has since disconnected and become its own entity
as a rocky, marshy basin. Many diverse, indigenous plant and animal species
take up residence there. A similar EcoBlitz in the nearby Northeast Swale,
performed by Meewasin in 2011, identified 75 bird species, 11 mammal species
and more than 150 plant varieties.

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For more information:
Lesley Porter
Communications Specialist, School of
Environment and Sustainability
306-966-1019
lesley.porter@usask.ca

The Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco-Leadership
Program provides small grants to current grantees and alumni of the Fulbright
Canada program to partner with local organizations in order to make a
significant positive environmental impact to their community.